Earlier this year, John and I pushed my oldest son, Jack, pretty heavily to take a risk he feared. And, in fact, some of Jack’s worst fears came true. However, he confided in us later that he was glad he had taken the risk because it gave him a chance to get to know his youth group leader, Michael, better. He told us that Michael had helped him through his difficulties and summed up the experience by saying that Michael was, “The most amazing person he had ever met.” WOAH. If you’re a parent you know that there is a 6th love language: Love my kid. Anyone will earn my lifetime loyalty, love, and appreciation by investing in my kid.

So when you look at these, you’ll have to answer a question for me: do I keep smiling from ear to ear, and do the tears keep springing to my eyes when I look through them, simply because I’m just so grateful to Michael and Samantha for loving on my own child? Or is is because they are the cutest couple in the world, with the sweetest little long-limbed baby, radiating joy and happiness and love?

It just may be the second option 😉

 

As I said on Instagram… if you’re going to get a smiling photo at 9 days old, it’s definitely going to happen in Mama’s arms!!!

 

 

If you forced me to pick, I would hem and haw for an hour and a half, and then I would probably choose this image below as my favorite. So much closeness, protection, adoration… and Maisie’s little arm brushing right up against her daddy’s lips? Precious.

 

 

TINY.

 

There are smiles even behind Samantha’s kisses. Love, love, love.

 

 

And then there are just full-on, I-can’t-stop-smiling smiles.

 

Fresh heel pricks. Poor baby girl.

 

Michael and Samantha just brought their feet together in the front so naturally. It’s my favorite thing about this photo below. What a beautiful team little Maisie has to raise her. Such a blessed baby girl.

 

Michael and Samantha, thank you for loving my son. Thank you for the honor of recording this raw and radiating love for your beautiful daughter. Can’t wait to watch her grow.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”